Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. The committee, Department, HRI and the IHRB should all be trying to work as quickly as possible to resolve these issues and restore confidence in the industry. We all know how important it is. I apologise for having had to go to another meeting. Some of the answers I have heard have been somewhat evasive. It is in everybody's best interest that we get answers as quickly as possible. No one is expecting the Department to do everything overnight or in a month, but there are issues on which it seems to be dragging its heels.

I will go through some of the recommendations. I apologise if they have been covered. Let me comment on recommendation 4. It has been stated that all blood, hair and urine samples taken by the IHRB within the past five years from licensed and unlicensed premises have been individually analysed and that all adverse analytical findings are subject to disciplinary procedures.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, IHRB, notes that it had concerns about the length of time taken to do the investigation and the disciplinary process. Why did the IHRB have concerns? What is the average length of time that a disciplinary procedure would take?